FFI: The Art of Writing

Hi, my name is Giovanni Santana, and I’m from Rochester, NY. I participated in the 2022 FFI nationwide program. We do a social action project at FFI in the program's last phase. The social action project aims to create a project that will help out the community we live in back home. Whether doing something small or big, it doesn’t matter; the intention is to do something that can continue for years and create a ripple effect that will trickle down and inspire other youths to want to change their communities. The problem I’m facing in my community is the lack of support for bettering mental health and support systems for the high kids in my school district and making them want to stay in school and feel heard. More than 1 in 3 high school students had experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2019, a 40 percent increase since 2009. Also, in 2019, approximately 1 in 6 youth reported making a suicide plan in the past year, a 44% increase since 2009 (according to CDC.gov). I propose holding five poetry workshops to teach kids how to write five different kinds of poetry: haiku, free verse, sonnet, and Acrostic. The result will show kids that writing is powerful, being able to vent to themselves and express themselves in ways they can’t verbally. I want to show kids how to have a platform to speak up. I plan on impacting 30 peers from my school with my project's intention and having five new peers join every poetry workshop. Finally, it will also improve their understanding of English literature, their writing skills, and their vocabulary. I want this project to last about three months, and I plan on starting it In the spring towards the end of the school year. The major components that make up my budget and my GoFundMe goal are pens, notebooks, and Copies of Pillow thoughts poetry book by Courtney Perppernell as a reference and inspiration book where they can lean on to write a poetry book.

Thank you for your time reading this, and anything is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Giovanni Santana